NO CHANGES TO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELLING REGULATIONS

The Minister of Consumer Affairs, today announced that no changes will be made to the Country of Origin (Clothing and Footwear) Labelling Regulations.

These Regulations require clothing and footwear to have labels identifying the country of origin.

"In my view, these Regulations underpin the importance to New Zealand consumers of being able to exercise an informed choice based on the country of origin for goods," said Hon Robyn McDonald.

"We operate in a global marketplace and I believe that it is also very important to offer consumers true and informed choices by ensuring that when purchasing footwear and clothing, consumers can clearly identify the country of origin.

Many consumers do place considerable value on being able to identify the country of origin for products they are buying. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs undertook a review of the Regulations and looked at them in terms of the Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement (TTMRA), compliance costs, enforceability and consistency with New Zealand's current regulatory environment.

"The continuation of the Regulations will also help provide a point of difference for New Zealand products sold within our country," said the Minister.